Heads will roll.
Surfing’s Olympic debut, Tokyo 2020, was set to be our Pastime of Kings’ grand coming out. The world stage, all eyez on us, respectability, riches, honor, gold gushing in from all corners.
Well, Covid-19 sure through* a wrench in those works but we march on, unbent.
The Irukanjis march on, unbent but maybe breaking.
You certainly recall how Australia’s team, made up of Julian Wilson, Owen Wright, Sally Fitzgibbons, Stephanie Gilmore excitedly took on the name of a tiny, nasty jellyfish then later adopted the tagline “Deadly in the Water.
Each qualified well over a year ago but their very poor performances at Newcastle and Narrabeen have rocked the proud surfing nation.
Per a jus-released story in The Guardian.
Australia’s surfers were selected prior to the Covid-19-induced postponement of the Olympics last year, meaning their inclusion is based on form from 2019. Poor performances at the first two events of the WSL season, in Newcastle and Narrabeen, puts added pressure on the quartet. Fitzgibbons and Gilmore were both knocked out in the quarter-finals in Narrabeen, while neither Wilson or Wright made the quarters in either event. In contrast, reserve surfer Ryan Callinan made the quarter-final in Newcastle and youngster Morgan Cibilic did not bow out until the semis.
“We’re not concerned,” says Surfing Australia’s Wilcomes. “We have four of the world’s best surfers. They have so much talent and expertise that they bring. It is not ideal with those results, but there has been a break from competition and this is a great time to reflect, take away those learnings and put them into action in the competitions ahead.”
“We’re not concerned.”
Totally.
Nothing says “not concerned” like saying “not concerned.”
The quartet will, in any case, have to go to El Salvador then Mexico to surf in ISA stuff, which will be a total hassle and apparently demanded by chief Fernando Aguerre, then off to Tokyo.
Will Australians take to the street, demanding Wilson and Wright’s replacement by Callinan and Cibilic before then?
Should they?
More as the story develops.
*Sorry. Hungover.
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Classic BG article. A Mexican squad made up of Bobby Martinez and Timmy Reyes could take out the IRUKANDJI. They as much Mexican as Kanoa is Japanese. Kolohe and Cory Lopez could put up a better squad for Cuba.
As a selfish cunt.. I guess this is about the only fucking benefit of the Covid virus.. maybe the fucking olympics will be cancelled and folks won’t see the “cool” kids in the water throwing air reverses in junky beach break like Shawn White and snowboarding.
Joey T must have head injuriez
All the new hotties from Albania
Dua lipa, bebe rexa Rita ora
Morgana Czsibilic
Fucking dreaming that the Olympic will go ahead this year, in fact by the time it does run all of the surfers in the team will need putting out to pasture.
Watching Sally fitz surfing (even when the judges reward that spastic wobble and she gets through a heat is horrible , hearing her talk is also pretty hard to bear also, representing us as Aussies in the Olympics? No thanks .
Morgan Cibilic is just Sally Fitz without a wig.
The Irukanjis need some brazzos on their team.
They definitely shoulda picked JJF, Gabby and Italo, huh?
I think it may well be the Irukanji that are dead in the water. Oh the iruny.
Iru-pansies
It’s a shame that the Olympic governance moved away from the rule that only amateurs compete. It would be great to see the various Boardrider Clubs in Australia put together a comp that would result in the Australian team members being picked from their crop of surfers.
Wasn’t it basketball that they changed first as far as pros vs. amateurs? They fucked up the whole point of everyday citizens who were athletes competing.
’92 Barcelona summer games with the USA basketball Dream Team. I think I recall the Aussie team throwing a stink because they didn’t wanna play vs. Magic (he was recently diagnosed with HIV). Pansies. But, you’re right. I often think how rad the concept would be to have an alternative amateur team (spots on the roster determined weekly, by lottery) couple up with the pro league team in every city, across every American major sport, and play each other as a warm-up opening act before the pros. Like, I really wanna see some old, beer drinking fat fuckers from Green Bay and Cincinnati just smashing one another on a cold December NFL Sunday. Gerlack sorta had it going with his Surf League here in CA. San Diego County vs. Orange County vs. LA County vs. Ventura/Santa Barbara County vs. Santa Cruz County. It was a quick, yet HOT, run.
It was basketball that fucked it up and then later adding soccer but making it under 25s to not overshadow their gay world cup.
Been saying it all year! I don’t understand why they gotta go to ISA though?
nothing is as relentless in our world as fucktag politics, #ISA#whounderstandsitanyway#fuckestwebsiteintheworld#andfuckestcomprules
ISA have something the wsl dream of, and that is being established prior to 1976.
Olympic rules state the oldest organisation gets to be the ruling body.
Sucked in, dirk!
Four???!!!!…
Yeahhh… for… real!
Maybe these guys in SAW still counts on Fanno… Parko… Tajamos… Banto… Ando… Deano… Dingo… Bingo…Banjo…
Ok…
It’s more than four!
Sounds like an impossible amount of travel given their ct obligations simultaneously.
I hear much anger at Fernando who, in turn, is attempting to solidify his grasp on surfing power.
*threw a wrench?
Oh man. Ohhhh man. It stays as a Monument to Incompetence.
At least you have us, threw thick and thin
Fernando is a strange bird indeed.
Anyone who signed off on the production of the infamous Mick Fanning bottle-opener thong has to be Val af.
And the Reef calendar, lest we forget.
don’t you dare play the Latin strong-man autocrat card!
unless, of course, if it’s in order. they love their strongmen autocrats. bias, racism, and prejudice has informed me